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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1986-04-16, Page 55Take care of your outdoor furniture Outdoor furniture requires some care Outdoor furniture is carefully designed to withstand five or more years of rugged use: welded frames, baked -on plastic finish, ' vinyl with mildew inhibitors and ultraviolet stabilizers, tough acrylic tabletops that withstand up to 20 times the impact of glass. 110 A little care will ensure that your outdoor furniture Lasts longer and looks better, ad- vise the experts at a casual furniture manufacturer. • The No. 1 rule is to avoid abrasive cleansers on all parts of your furniture. In- stead, use a mild soap or detergent on a regular basis to avoid buildup and remove grease and stains. Periodic waxing of fur- niture frames, or use of commercially prepared protectants, will help prevent stains from sun -tan lotions, etc., and will make cleaning your furniture even easier. Despite the baked -on plastic finishes on aluminum furniture, scratches and chips are unavoidable. Most casual fur- nituremakers have touch-up paint available for perfect match -up in handy spray cans. If you decide to touch up your furniture, be sure to thoroughly wash and dry any areas to be painted (use mild detergent). Then lightly sand the furniture with a fine grade of sandpaper, until it feels smooth to the touch. Brush off any particles of sand and spray according to the directions on the can of paint . Straps and webbing will stay more supple if you use a vinyl cleaner regularly. But oc- casionally , a strap will be burned or cut and will require replacement. Most manufac- turers recommend having a professional replace the type of straps that are made with continuous lacing. Other styles are easy to re -wrap, however, and straps are sually available from the dealer or manufacturer. Instruction pamphlets are generally included with replacement materials. If not, ask your salesperson for a copy. The only tool needed to replace webbing and straps is a small hammer. You will also need a pail of hot water. Dunk each strap in- to the hot water to heat it, then stretch and 17, Your Local Cgr, con, ror Dealer For Hardware 4 Software is GRANGER'S TV LTD. GOD;(" RICH 524-8925 IA(129 jlJri.lil� .. , r poo .GODERICH 'HOME GARDEN-SHOW.. April 255,26 & 27 Goderich Arena PI MORE HOT. WATER FOR YO - 'HOME TE ...ELECTRICALLY MPS weave it into place. The small rivets which attach the straps can be lightly tapped into the holes in the frame. Tabletops should be cleaned just as -other parts of your outdoor furniture. A regular cleaning with mild soap or detergent will prevent buildup of grease and stains. Minor scratches on acrylic tops can be removed by using a rubbing compound with a very light touch. As always, avoid abrasive cleansers which may scratch and mar your tabletops. Redwood furniture is nearly indestructi- ble but it does require periodic refinishing with a polyurethane coating. Lawn and mower should be carefully checked in spring Question: Yesterday I pulled up some onions from my front lawn. Now, I've often thought of planting a vegetable garden, but I'm not sure my first crop would be onions. What should I do? Answer: Those weeds you found are wild onions, sometimes called wild garlic, and they can be as hard to control as a fox in the hen house. Given free rein, wild onions can ruin acres of wheat and oats. Just imagine what a weed like that can do to 'your lawn! For best results, harvest this crop before it has a chance to spread. Once mature, wild onions will grow like, well, weeds. At the first sign of this troublemaker, treat your lawn to several applications of a post - emergence herbicide. Question: Should I use an organic or syn- thetic fertilizer on my lawn? Answer: Before choosing either fertilizer, weigh the pros and cons of each. Organic fertilizers, which are made from plant or animal wastes, are bulky, heavy and generally hard to handle. They must be applied in large doses at every feeding because they contain a low percentage of nitrogen. Also, organic fertilizers may be of- fensive to sensitive noses. In their favour is the fact that organic fer- tilizers are slow acting, making it difficult to over -fertilize your lawn. And in many rural areas, they are inexpensive and easy to find. Synthetic fertilizers are fast -acting and predictable. Less fertilizer is used at each application because most synthetics contain a high percentage of nitrogen. Those chemical ingredients could be tough on your lawn. Apply too much and you'll over -fertilize your lawn causing "fer- tilizer burn." Question: Spring cleaning time is on us again. Should I treat my lawn mower to an overhaul before the mowing season begins? Answer: Check your operator's manual for spring start-up procedures. The manual should provide instructions for refueling, cleaning the spark plug and setting the breaker point gap. If the gap is closed, there won't be the° spark that's needed to start the engine. For some mowers, you should lubricate the grease fittings, check the transmission fluid and battery, and inflate tires to the recommended air pressure. When you need lots of hot water, go electric. With up to 40% more storage than other water heaters, you'll have plenty of hot water. Enough for the whole team and their uniforms. So when they're hot, make sure your water is too... with economical, dependable electric water heating. Convenient, worry -free rental water heaters available. Call 482-3483 for more information. UP TO 40% MORE HOT WATER with an electric water heater We'll see you at the GOD& GAg Eli HOM SHOW at'the G°aerial Arena THIS WEEKEND APRIL 25.26.27 Ontario Hydro CLINTON 482-3483 or Zenith 28220